


Welcome to the Science Department

by LadyKF



Series: Welcome to FFVII [2]
Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Backstory, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Dubious Science, Gen, Headcanon, Origin Story, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-05-14 16:13:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14772905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKF/pseuds/LadyKF
Summary: ShinRa's Science Department worked in secrecy for decades. Take a look at what went on behind the scenes, from the beginning, through the eyes of those who know the truth.





	1. Connections

**Author's Note:**

> This follows the members of ShinRa's Science Department from shortly before it is formally founded to right before the start of Crisis Core. The story overlaps with the rest of the series, notes will eventually be made of what chapters overlap.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> College is a great place to network. Neither Gast nor Grimoire had any idea what kinds of connections they were really making.

Junon University was an old, well established college built on the plains leading up to the cliffside over Junon village, and it drew academics from all over the world. Gast was proud to call it his alma mater, and happy to come back to it for his masters. But he very much wanted  _out_  of the dormitory - far too cramped, with thin walls that let the chill seep in during the fall and winter and every little sound was free to filter past to distract him when he needed to study. So it was that he took the time to put in for one of the little apartments nearby. There weren't many, and they came at a cost, but it would be worth it for the ability to concentrate. The only tiny drawback was that he'd had to make arrangements to share it with a roommate.

He'd planned to be there first, choose the better room for himself, get things set to his advantage - he knew how things  _worked,_  and wanted no part in having to jockey around for things. And yet despite coming early, as he came up to the building, he noticed the lights were already on. Cursing softly, he jogged up the stairs, getting his new key out and letting himself in. And stopped, blinking, because there was soft, almost delicate flute music playing from somewhere in the suite. Not exactly what he'd expected. "…Hello?"

The sound of a chair's legs coming back in contact with the floor was heard a moment before the music was stopped, and then a rather tall man came into one of the doorways. He was easily three or four inches taller than Gast himself, with black hair down to his shoulders and eyes that were a startlingly reddish shade of brown. If he wasn't smiling, he might have been intimidating. "You must be Gast. I'm Grimoire."

"I take it the landlord introduced me," Gast guessed, smiling back reflexively as he came over to shake the man's hand when it was offered. "He said you were a student at the university as well?"

"Planetary Sciences, officially." Grimoire had a firm shake, and his friendly smile stayed in place.

"'Officially'?" Gast arched a brow.

"I prefer to call it 'modern applications of mythology,'" Grimoire said, smile growing into a grin. "You're an anthropologist, aren't you?"

"I am, actually," Gast said slowly. "…what do you mean by  _modern applications_  of mythology?"

"Oh, you know, the general refusal to accept that stories don't have origins. That there isn't a kernel of truth somewhere to be found, no matter how fantastic it sounds," Grimoire said. He was watching him as he said it, weighing his reaction.

Gast simply smiled. "I do know. I'm currently studying the Ancients."

Grimoire's grin made a quick reappearance. "I'm studying the Planet's lifecycle."

 

* * *

 

Half way through their respective masters programs, a man came up from Cosmo Canyon to speak about what he called the "Lifestream." It was closer to Grimoire's interests, but Gast was intrigued as well and went along to the lecture. Not many attended, most academics dismissing his talk as too mystical to be taken seriously.

"You know, if you'd been out west you'd have found more peers to have an actual discussion with," Grimoire said, coming up to the platform as people began to file out after the discussion. He offered a hand to the older man, flashing his most charming smile. "Grimoire Valentine. It was a pleasure to hear you talk, sir."

"A pleasure to meet you." Bugenhagen smiled faintly, taking his hand and shaking it, bobbing slightly on the green orb he'd been levitating on.

It took everything Gast had not to ask about it right away. "Gast Faremis. I did enjoy your talk. You gave us a lot to think about."

"Is that so? I'm afraid your friend may be right, those in Wutai pay more heed to what I have to say than anyone in the east," Bugenhagen said. "But if even two young scientists learned from me, perhaps it was not a waste after all, hmm? Tell me, what do you study?"

"I'm currently studying the Planet's life cycle," Grimoire said. "So I find all of this particularly  _relevant,_  actually."

"Ho ho hooo, happy to help!" Bugenhagen said, glancing at Gast. "And you?"

"Ancient cultures," Gast said. "Thinking that they might live on in some way is fascinating. Pity there's no way to tap into that."

"You never know," Bugenhagen said. "There's a lot to be learned from nature, and the power of observation. Or even from materia, which comes from the Lifestream and carries the memories of the Ancients with them."

"I'm no real talent with materia, that's always been more Grim's skill than mine," Gast admitted. "But it says a lot about their culture, what materia exist, when you think about how they might have been used. How some are  _still_  used today, in rural communities. If you have the skill and the power, you can do great things for people - even communities - especially in groups. Healing. Providing heat and cold where there might not be either. Moving the earth itself."

"And water, if you can manage two spells at once," Grimoire added. "Very handy, especially in dry areas."

"Exactly! If you think outside the box, materia has so many potential applications…" Gast shook his head. "It's impressive. They may have been behind us in terms of modern technology, but the Ancients had something amazing with their materia."

"I agree. Studying it will lead to much more understanding of their culture," Bugenhagen said. "And studying the Lifestream will help as well. The Ancients left much behind, if you know where to look."

"I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on the matter," Gast said. "Perhaps we could help each other."

 

* * *

 

Bugenhagen was like no one they'd met before, and the longer Gast and Grimoire interacted with him the more questions they had.

"I don't think he's human."

" _Grim._ "

"He's in his seventies, did you know that?" Grimoire asked, arching a brow when Gast startled. "He  _does not look seventy._ "

"You can't just up and declare someone isn't human because they're aging well, Grim," Gast insisted.

"He's also supernaturally powerful with materia," Grimoire added. "And I have  _seen_  power with materia. Gast, he's  _unreal._ "

"Just because he's got more skill with it than you does not make him 'supernaturally powerful' will you  _stop._ " Gast sighed. "And what would he be, if not human? There aren't any more Ancients."

"I don't know," Grimoire admitted. "But you don't know that. If the Ancients were so clever, maybe some of them escaped and they're waiting out humanity."

"'Waiting out'?" Gast glanced at him, wary of asking for detail.

"Waiting for us to either destroy ourselves or achieve some sort of comparable enlightenment." Grimoire shrugged, rocking his chair back on its back two legs and balancing there. "You never know."

" _Highly_  unlikely, Grim." Gast sighed. "He's human."

"I really don't think he is," Grimoire said. "Call it a hunch."

"Oh don't even  _start_  with your 'gut feelings' Valentine," Gast said, pointing a finger at him. "Don't you have homework?"

"I finished my paper this morning." Grimoire waved it off, absently rocking his chair a little. "I was reading what he faxed us about his mako studies. I think I'm going to see what I can find when I go back to Wutai this spring."

"Oh really?" Gast raised a brow. "What stood out to you?"

"Not what he wrote, but what he  _didn't,_ " Grimoire said. "He's never addressed the point of origin. The beginning of all this. If the cycle of life on the Planet is a circle of constant reincarnation, there had to be a point of origin."

"Maybe," Gast said. "What are you expecting?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But there has to be some sort of explanation. Even if I have to go digging up myths."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Gast pointed out. "And it's probably what you'll have to do. You're not going to find someone around these days who can tell you what happened that long ago. You'll have to settle for speculation."

"Perhaps," Grimoire agreed. "Wutai has a lot of history I can look into. Especially if Amaya's willing to translate the older texts for me. It's  _something."_

"Well, I wish you the best of luck. Who knows, maybe even asking Bugenhagen would get you more answers. He might know more than he's said," Gast pointed out.

"Maybe." Grimoire sighed, letting his chair thump back onto the ground. "But there has to be something. I'd bet on it."

"Good luck."


	2. ShinRa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's funny how these things happen. You meet the people who are going to change your life forever, but you seldom realize it at the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter overlaps with chapters [one](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3281159/chapters/7158239) and [two](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3281159/chapters/7531451) of _Welcome to ShinRa._

By the time graduation came around, Gast and Grimoire were in regular correspondence with Bugenhagen and had even been out to Cosmo Canyon to see the birth of his grandson. They were out of touch for a stretch of time, only to find out that the settlement had been attacked, something that had taken the lives of nearly all the flame tailed natives and many of the humans. There was likely nothing they could have done to make a difference, but they still both felt bad to hear of the tragedy.

Bugenhagen had spent some time away from the canyon himself, several hours north in the small town of Marek at the foot of the Nibel mountain range, where he'd spent some time working for ShinRa Manufacturing. Not in their weapons development, he'd been quick to clarify, but with materia. Mostly with marketing it for domestic uses, and small teaching seminars in rural communities. Which was interesting, but it wasn't really something that either of them kept in mind.

And then Rupert Shinra came to Junon.

He had an idea, one that had been tossed around before but never taken to any sort of fruition as far as Grimoire was aware:  _manufacturing materia._  It wasn't something he'd ever really considered before, but he loved a puzzle. Scientifically, using nothing but cold hard facts, it looked like it should be doable.

"You'd need some sort of containment, something to hold the mako in that wouldn't corrode from the acidity," Grimoire decided. "The actual actions it would have to reproduce would depend on how you were able to simulate materia formation…"

"Materia forms from concentrated mako," Rupert said.

"Yes, but there's more to it than that, or you'd only find new materia in crevices, not freely sitting in the bottom of a pool or spring," Grimoire explained. And of course there was the whole matter of the Lifestream and the supposed connection between materia and the spirits of the Ancients, which he supposed was really more Gast's range than his own. "Something prompts materia to form when mako is gathered. If we knew what that was, we'd have it down."

"I understand that, but is there any reason why we can't  _try_  sheer concentration?" Rupert asked.

"I suppose it's a place to start, but…" Grimoire tapped his pen absently, thinking about it. His gut said sheer concentration wouldn't be enough. Otherwise the ocean floor would be full of materia from mako flows and more would bubble up from the depths onto beaches. But  _maybe…_  "It might be a good idea to…  _encourage_ it. Seed the ground, as it were."

"Seed the ground how?" Rupert asked.

Grimoire was silent, working over the budding idea. If they just used concentrated mako, even if that  _was_  enough to cause materia to form there was no guaranteeing  _what_  materia would form, which was next to useless. What they needed was a way to give nature a little  _nudge,_  a  _suggestion_  of what it ought to do when presented with the right circumstances. What better way to encourage materia growth than a piece of materia? "…materia shards."

"What  _about_  materia shards?" He asked.

"We make something that will concentrate mako, and drop a shard of materia in it. It might  _encourage_  what kind of formation we get," Grimoire explained.

Rupert eyed him a moment, skeptical. "Where are you getting this?"

"Off the top of my head," he admitted, grinning. "But it makes  _sense_. A fraction of a materia may not be enough to  _use,_  but in theory it should still contain the essence of the whole. The  _memory,_  if you will. So if something built up around it, the inclination would be to match what was already there, I'd think."

"Isn't it dangerous to break materia?" Rupert asked.

"Only if it breaks while you're in the middle of a spell," Grimoire said, waving dismissively; gods knew he'd seen worse than broken materia. "Otherwise it's little more than any other unactivated magical artifact - full of potential, but without active power."

Rupert seemed skeptical, but it was obviously a better idea than he'd had and he wasn't going to dismiss it out of hand. "Can you draw that up, then?"

Grimoire hummed, nodding. "I think so. Let me run a few things by Gast, and I'll give you a call."

 

* * *

 

"You want to do  _what,_  now?" Gast asked, staring at him not unlike Rupert had, but with a little less hope and a little more incredulity.

"We're going to design a system to manufacture materia," Grimoire informed him, bringing over his notebooks and wheeling a chair up to the table. "At Rupert Shinra's commission."

"Since when are the Shinra's into materia manufacturing?" Gast asked.

"No one is 'into' materia manufacturing, Gast, it's not a  _thing -_ yet." He grinned, flipping open his notebook.

"Don't you have a thesis to be working on?" Gast asked.

Grimoire paused, looked at the pile of newspapers around Gast - one flipped to a sudoku puzzle - and then gave him a flat look. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting your procrastination?"

Gast cleared his throat, closing the paper. "Fine. Show me what you've got."

 

* * *

 

Rupert's engineer of choice - one Rhys Tuesti - was probably half Grimoire's age, had never been to college, and was still merrily running rings around him on the practical aspects of the materia project. Apparently Rupert had taken notes and given them to the teenager, because when Grimoire and Gast arrived in Rakheim they were presented with sketches and a couple quick models of potential materia-growth chambers.

"This is amazing," Grimoire said. "Utterly genius."

"I just worked off of what you told Rupert, sir," Rhys said.

" _Grimoire,_  please," he requested immediately. "Sir makes me feel old."

"Yess- er, yes." Rhys chuckled, rubbing a hand over his hair. "So, you like it then?"

"I love it," Grimoire said. "It's a brilliant starting point. We just need to find materials that will contain the mako, then?"

"Well yeah, cause it's caustic, y'know? Some stuff'll hold it for a while, but long term you're gonna need some heavy duty materials. Maybe somethin' different than what I've got, even, 'cause we don't want it corrodin' an' spillin' mako everywhere," Rhys said.

"No, no we certainly wouldn't," Grimoire agreed thoughtfully. "You know what we need…"

"A list of available alloys? Preferably listed by someone who understands them and can get them?" Gast suggested.

"A blacksmith who knows all that," Grimoire corrected. "But you were close. Someone who can work  _with_  Rhys in putting this project together physically."

"While we still work theory, I assume," Gast checked, sighing in relief when Grimoire nodded. "Fair enough. Do you know any blacksmiths?"

"Well, no. But surely we can  _find one,_ " Grimoire said.

"I used t' work for one, before I joined Rupert's team," Rhys said. "But I don't know that he's the kind you're talkin' about. He wasn't fancy, just worked traditional materials. He might know somebody, though."

"It's a good enough start for me, we'll ask."

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, the blacksmith in question really wasn't familiar with a lot of the 'cutting edge' materials being developed, but his son had spent some extensive time traveling and was a safer bet. He was currently working in Corel, so Rhys made his way north to talk with him and see if there was anything to be learned.

Jackson Goffe was working with one of the local mining families that had a son in the weapons business, and was happy to meet with them. He listened attentively to their needs, nodding absently, then told them to stay put. He came back shortly with a bracer with three linked slots, a gleaming silvery blue. "This is one of the best bracers we make. It's made entirely of a material you can get over on the eastern continent, they're calling it  _mythril._  And I think it might just be the answer to your problems."

"I've heard of it," Rhys said, accepting the bangle to inspect it.

"It's  _extremely_  sensitive to materia, and can conduct it better than holding it by hand," he said. "It won't activate your materia without will, but it would help… amplify the effect of it. If your theory is right that you can just seed new materia, this is the best material to encourage that. Like an echo chamber. You have to work it at high heat, but it should hold up just fine."

"Great." He nodded. "We'll look into that, then. I don't suppose you have time to look into assistin' with machinin' any parts? Just t' get started."

"I could see about it, yeah. Let me get my partner in on it, though; he's worked with mythril more than I have on big pieces." Jackson nodded, turning back to the shop. "Hey Dominic!"

A mountain of a man ducked through the doorway, looking at them curiously. "Yes?"

"These guys need some help machining some mythril for a device they're making," he explained.

"We've got the funds to compensate you," Grimoire added.

"Yeah? Could give it a go, I guess. You've got designs?" Dominic prompted, holding out a hand for the notebook Rhys had. "Huh… never seen a thing like that. But sure, we could put one together."

"We only need one, I can put more together later," Rhys said. "I've just never worked mythril before. I'd appreciate some tips."

"Sure thing." He nodded. "Let me see what supplies we've got on hand. Might need to order some things before we can get started."

"Of course." Rhys accepted his notebook back. "I just appreciate the help."

"You bet. What's your name, huh?"

"Rhys Tuesti." He offered a hand to shake, nearly covered by the blacksmith's.

"Dominic Wallace. Pleased to meet you."

 

* * *

 

After a little work with the more experienced smiths, Rhys felt comfortable going back to Rakheim to work on machining and constructing the containment chambers the materia were going to be developed in. It took a couple weeks to get enough of them put together for testing, but eventually they were ready to be filled with mako and seeded with materia shards.

Then came the waiting. They opened the first after just a couple weeks and found faint crystallization had begun on the shard. The next one was opened after a month. The one after that after two months, and so on, until finally they hit their goal at eleven months. Compared to the  _years_  it could take natural materia to form, it was an enormous step forward.

The materia was too small to really get a proper spell out of, but it was undeniably forming an actual baby materia, of the same element as the shard that had been used to seed the chamber.

The next idea was to create some sort of agitator, to mimic the current of a mako spring and try to promote faster generation. It didn't take long for Rhys to make the needed adjustments, but when he did, something strange happened.

"It's  _charged_."

Rupert glanced up, arching a brow as Rhys came in, one of the containers cradled in his hands. "What?"

"The mythril is holding an energy charge," Rhys said. "You get a little buzz when you touch it."

Rupert rose from his seat, going around to touch it. Sure enough, he felt the hairs on his arm rise, seeing a tiny shock go between his finger and the machine. "It's like static, but stronger…  _electric._ "

"Exactly. Something about the agitator we put in the mako is reacting with the mythril," Rhys said.

Rupert nodded slowly, arching a brow as the realization hit him. "Rhys… this  _is_  electric. You're generating  _energy._ "

"It is," he agreed, thumb rubbing along the side of the container. For a moment they were silent, trying to process the realization. "We could harness this."

"If it's still viable on a larger scale…" Rupert nodded slowly. "Draw up a design for a bigger version and a generator that can store the generated power. I want to do something with this."

"Yessir." He nodded, heading back to the other room.

 

* * *

 

Running high on the unexpected discovery, Rhys spent two days carefully determining as much as he could about how the energy was being generated before he began construction on a bigger processor. This one wasn't seeded with materia, but still filled with mako that was being churned just as rapidly by its agitator. He'd also equipped it with a large generator capable of siphoning off the power that was being produced by the mako processor. But while it was  _impressive_  to see the gauge go up, part of him wanted something more concrete.

By the time Rupert came down to see his progress, he'd rerouted half the workshop's lights and now had them being powered by the generator.

Needless to say, he was  _impressed._

He waited outside while Rupert explained it all to his father - ultimately, after all, the owner of the company had to be behind it. Materia development was one thing, that directly benefited them as a weapons manufacturing company. This? This was a whole other beast. But he knew, deep down, they  _needed_  to do something with this. It was too incredible a discovery to just ignore, or sell off to someone else.

When Mr. Shinra left, Rupert came out with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. Rhys felt a smile spread over his face. "We get a greenlight?"

"Not quite," Rupert admitted. "But good enough. He's giving me the resources to start my own project. We can make this  _work._  We  _will_  make this work. From now on, you'll be working with me instead of my father.  _This_  is our project now. We're going to make mako energy a household name."

"I'm right with you, boss." Rhys grinned. "Let's do this."


	3. Mako Energy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako Science is a new, untested field, but it's just interesting enough for Grimoire to dabble in. Gast, of course, gets dragged along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter overlaps with [Chapter Three](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3281159/chapters/35652522) of _Welcome to ShinRa._

Grimoire hadn't seen Rupert Shinra since he'd worked with Rhys on the materia manufacturing project. They traveled in different circles, on different sides of the world, of course, and he'd been busy working on his doctorate. And every free moment that wasn't spent towards his education went back towards his family, time with his lovely wife and young son. It never felt like enough, but he gave it everything he had.

But when Rupert was willing to come all the way out to Junon to meet him, he couldn't help but feel it was only polite to take the time for it.

"I appreciate you meeting with me, Grimoire, I know your time is rather in-demand these days," Rupert said, settling down into the seat opposite him at the cafe they'd decided to meet at. "How's everything going with your degree?"

"I'm about half way through getting my doctorate," Grimoire said, sighing with a wry smile. "Lots of work to do, that, but hopefully it'll pass by quickly. I've been lucky that a lot of it I don't actually have to sit classes for."

"I'm certain that helps, yes," Rupert agreed. "I was wondering if you might have time to help me out with something. For pay, of course."

Grimoire arched a brow, pausing a beat before picking up his iced tea. "Go on."

"Rhys and I made a discovery of something we're calling 'mako energy,'" Rupert said. "He can fill you in on the specifics, but essentially what we've discovered is the ability to generate electricity by processing raw mako."

Grimoire stared at him a long moment, trying to process the implications of that sentence. "Generate _electricity._ "

"That's right." Rupert nodded, a hint of a grin starting on his lips. "So you see where I'm going with this, then. We're talking a clean, infinitely sustainable energy source."

"That's amazing," Grimoire said. "But what can I do to help with that?"

"You're the closest thing I've got to an expert in mako," Rupert said. "I need someone to work with Rhys and make sure we can process it safely. Electricity's no good if we all die of mako poisoning."

"You have a fair point," Grimoire agreed, humming thoughtfully; he didn't know that he'd go  _that_  far, but he did have some background in dealing with mako. "But I don't know that I'm the right man for the job, Rupert, that's not even in the  _direction_  of my field."

"It's not your field, no - it's not  _anyone_ _'s_  field, this is entirely new," Rupert said. "But you have the qualifications. You have the background to make sense of this."

Grimoire frowned, shaking his head. "I can see where you're coming from but I really don't think I'm the right man for the job. Bugenhagen, maybe —"

"He wants nothing to do with the project," Rupert said immediately, cutting him off. "Grimoire, I'm not expecting perfection, but you've already worked with Rhys and you already know more than anyone else I could ask. You can figure this out. Get Gast in on it, make it a team project. You can  _do this,_  I know you can."

" _Faith_  is not enough to make me the person you need for this," Grimoire said.

"But you  _are,_  I know you are," Rupert insisted. "I've seen your work. You were able to help us figure out the materia, you can help us work out the mako.  _Please,_  Grimoire. This fascinated you earlier, what's changed?"

"Fascination isn't… Rupert, despite popular opinion I am not entirely driven by impulse," Grimoire said. "I have a doctorate to finish, and a wife and child to support."

"A wife and child you'd be closer to, if you were working with us in Rakheim," Rupert pointed out. "Within hours of the ocean, and you could be on a boat over in no time. And frankly? So long as you work on it I don't have to have you there the whole time, either. You can fax me update between working on your other projects."

That… was actually a tempting offer. He didn't have a lot of spare time to be on site, but something he could pick up and work on regardless of location might just be doable. "I'll tell you what, I'll look into it. I'll give Rhys a call, and hear out what he knows already. What plans may be in the works. If it sounds like something I might have ideas on, then I'm willing to see where it takes us."

"That's all I ask," Rupert said.

"And I'll be compensated for whatever time I spend as a consultant, hm?" Grimoire arched a brow at him pointedly.

"Arrangements will be made," Rupert assured him. "So long as you put in the work, you will be appropriately compensated for your time."

Grimoire smiled faintly. "Then it's a deal."

 

* * *

 

It wasn't that Grimoire was exactly predictable, Gast knew better than to say  _that._  But he had certain patterns  _overall_  that he'd fall into. And he'd been dragging Gast into new projects ever since their early days at the university. So of course, when Rupert dropped this potential project into his lap, it came back around.

"You realize, I make even less sense on this project than you do," Gast said. "You've studied mako. I can see where he's coming from there, even if you're not  _quite_  the right person for the job."

"Bugenhagen won't do it, I wouldn't say I was his first choice," Grimoire admitted.

"I would say, safely I think, that I wasn't even on the  _list,_ " Gast said. "This is on you."

"You're still not on his list, you're on  _my_  list," Grimoire said, flashing that supposedly-charming Valentine smile. He was given a flat look in return, and his lips curled into an impish little grin. "This is where you tell me how flattered you are."

"I'm  _flattered,_  Grim. Really," he said dryly. "But I'm an anthropologist. This is  _not_  even  _vaguely_ in my realm of expertise. This isn't even in one of my experiences."

"I'm aware. I'm not exactly the ideal person for this either, biogeography isn't quite the right discipline," Grimoire said. "But there  _isn_ _'t_  a field for this, not yet. It's  _new._ "

"New and exciting. You've always fallen for those." Gast sighed. "I'm too busy for this -  _you_ _'re_  too busy for this. We've got school to finish."

"But it doesn't have to be  _here_  all the time," Grimoire pointed out. "I've never liked Junon, library aside. Rakheim is  _interesting._ And the things they've done already, Gast! You worked on the materia project. They're on to something, something  _big_  - world changing! Don't you want to be a part of history instead of just studying it all day?"

Gast sighed again. "Is he at least paying you to be a consultant?"

" _Yes,_ " Grimoire said. "Of course; I'm excited, not stupid."

"And he'd pay me?" Gast checked. "Even though this is very much  _not my field?_ "

"He understands the risks."

Gast stared at him a long moment. "I'll  _consider it._ "

 

* * *

 

Gast had not meant 'I'll consider it' as some sort of code for 'yes' but when dealing with Grimoire he should have known better. Somehow, he found himself being pulled into a project he was utterly unprepared for, completely out of his field and yet being consulted like he could possibly have something to contribute. Grimoire, in the least, should have known better.

Why he expected anything else, he really wasn't sure. The man was notorious for these sort of shenanigans.

To be fair, the mako energy project  _was_  fascinating, it really was. Just the premise, the idea that mako could be harnessed as some sort of fuel, an endless planet-generated clean energy - it would  _revolutionize_  the way things were done. There was nothing he could think of that wouldn't in some way be effected. Machines would have to be reworked to process mako. It would be a death toll for the coal and oil industries which would change the entire dynamic on the central continent.

It could very possibly bring the war itself to a standstill. Not immediately, of course not, but if coal was no longer the fuel of choice… there was no reason to fight over it. The Corel territory would lose value overnight once it was proven viable, even if it would take longer to truly spell an end to it.

Rhys already had a basic idea of how to do it, they'd created a small, usable charge with a processor scaled up to the size of an oil drum, hooked up to power a rigged generator. But for it to work on the scale Rupert wanted they were going to need to go bigger by far, and that meant even more safety measures. Handling raw Lifestream was a dangerous venture just for the fumes, even before getting into how caustic it was or the high heat bringing it out of the ground. Refining it to mako only increased the concentration, and while a closed container would lower the exposure to fumes, it was even more caustic and  _still_  kept at tremendous heat. They were going to need to write up safety protocols before going forward, and study to be sure the mythril would hold up long term.

Part of that was on Rhys, of course. He was the engineer, and the one with the background in metal smithing. He would be the one to figure out the bulk of the physical mechanics for how it was literally handled. But Grimoire was going to be able to theorize with him on the rest. Gast, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what he was there for but was trying to offer intelligent input if nothing else. If they could explain the problems, he could at least follow the logical procedure to come to a conclusion.

Eventually, between the three of them they began to work out a system for harvesting the Lifestream directly, a concentration process, and how they would be able to work it into a big enough agitator. The 'waste' couldn't go back to the Planet once it was concentrated, but theoretically what parts of it didn't burn off could be run through again, or reworked into powering smaller systems. Arguably, if you kept concentrating it over and over again, it would eventually be prime material for generating materia, so they  _should_  be able to combine the two processes into one smooth system. Theoretically.

Of course, they wouldn't know until they tried it. Which meant finding a site with access to a Lifestream flow. And  _that_  they would have to leave up to Rupert.


End file.
